Aviva Premiership Rugby on BT Sport and ITV Sport

November 17, 2016

11:33

After a two-week break, Aviva Premiership Rugby returns to our screens this weekend with another packed weekend of action on BT Sport and ITV.

Live coverage begins on Friday evening on BT Sport 2 and BT Sport 4K UHD at 7pm at the Rec, where Todd Blackadder’s Bath Rugby will be looking to, at least temporarily, climb to the top of the Aviva Premiership Rugby standings with victory over Bristol Rugby.

Bristol however are fresh from their first victory of the season in last week’s Anglo-Welsh Cup match, where they ran out 26-11 winners against Sale Sharks.

Mark Tainton’s side are still without a win in Premiership Rugby since beating Worcester Warriors at the Memorial Stadium in March 2009, whereas Bath have registered only one loss in the league at home since February.

The two sides have already met at the Recreation Ground this season in the European Rugby Challenge Cup, with Bath running out 22-6 victors on 5 October.

With both Bath and Wasps playing before them, Saracens’ clash at Sale Sharks is even more mouth-watering on Sunday, as the chips will be down to either keep or extend their advantage at the Aviva Premiership Rugby summit.

Mark McCall’s charges will be up against it however, as Sale Sharks have lost only one of their last four league matches – 30-3 at Bath in Round 6 – and the only side that has beaten them at the AJ Bell Stadium in Aviva Premiership Rugby since April 2015 has been Gloucester Rugby.

Sarries were defeated 36-32 in their most recent away game at Gloucester in the Anglo-Welsh Cup, but have not lost successive games on their travels in almost two years.

Coverage of the clash begins at 12.30pm on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 4K UHD.

Sunday’s action does not stop there though as Leicester Tigers v Harlequins follows immediately afterwards on the same channels.

Tigers’ only home defeat in any competition since February was 22-34 against Wasps in Aviva Premiership Rugby on 10 September, while Harlequins have struggled on their travels of late, winning once away from home in their last 10 in the league.

The last five Aviva Premiership Rugby fixtures between the two clubs have all been won by the home side, but Quins have been victorious on three of their last six visits to Welford Road.

Should you miss out on any of the weekend’s action, BT Sport and ITV will once again be showing highlights programmes throughout the weekend.

Catch every score from Round 8’s opening two days on BT Sport 1 at 9pm on Saturday, while ITV’s highlights hosted by Mark Durden-Smith and David Flatman will be on air on Sunday at 8pm (ITV4), 11.30pm (ITV), and Tuesday at 12.25am (ITV4).

And Rugby Tonight Extra will once again provide a midweek insight on Wednesday at 10pm on BT Sport 1.